A coroner's inquiry has been opened following the death of an 85-year-old resident of a southeast suburban St. Louis nursing home. The woman was reportedly discovered deceased early on March 12, strapped to a wheelchair at the bottom of a flight of stairs

Amid the flurry of bad news for long-term care providers, regarding Medicaid cuts, a spot of sunshine appeared in Alabama on Wednesday, when the governor said he would veto the state's budget if an additional $200 million were not added to the program.

A government crackdown on improper payments in federal programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, cut wasteful payments by $17.6 billion in 2011, the Office of Management and Budget reported Tuesday. The administration's Campaign to Cut Waste saved $7 billion in Medicare fee-for-service payment errors between 2010 and 2011, according to the OMB.

A judge in Illinois on Tuesday heard arguments for and against a proposed settlement that would give thousands of mentally ill nursing home residents in the state the chance to move into community housing.

The American Civil Liberties Union is accusing some for-profit nursing home operators in Illinois of using "scare tactics" to keep psychiatric residents in their facilities, according to local reports.

Nursing homes in Illinois are facing new higher standards after a unanimous vote in the state's House—118-0—to pass a major overhaul of the long-term care system. A similar vote is expected in the Illinois Senate, according to local reports.

The Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) preempts a provision in the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act (NHCA) that prohibits the use of arbitration agreements in cases against nursing homes, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

A recent legal settlement regarding mentally ill nursing home residents in Illinois has the potential to transform the state's long-term system. It also likely will have a ripple effect on the field nationwide.